Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee
Would you prefer myopic?
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One side isn't as myopic as the other side is being oblivious.
It's been over 10 years and they still haven't chosen the exact route through the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles. It's impossible to accurately estimate that section's building costs until the footage of tunneling is known.
They can't commence the HSR service between Los Angeles and San Francisco until that section is finished.
The term boondoggle was first in vogue during the construction of the Panama Canal. Another excellent example of construction starting before the final design was finished, and how deep the canal would need to be. But at least the route across the mountains had been fixed before the route across the river was.
In California, they still haven't decided where to route across the mountains yet!
Selecting a final route first is an important step that shouldn't be skipped if you don't want your project called a boondoggle. All Aboard Florida may be building it's Brightline train service piecemeal, section by section, but it had settled on and gained access to the entire route first. Texas Central may not have started construction yet but it is finalizing its routing before construction starts. DesertXpress may not have turned one blade of dirt, but it has finalized it's routing, and has gained access to its entire route first.
CHSR has started building before finalizing and gaining access to the entire route. Apparently it is too much to ask for a final routing and final cost estimation after far more than 10 years of study. There will always be penny pinchers, but that doesn't make them myopic.